Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza is on the doorstep of winning the Heisman Trophy, but the NFL Draft is also looming with it coming up in April of next year.
One NFL analyst says Mendoza should be preparing himself to get drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders, as the team sits at 2-11 through the first 13 games of Pete Carroll's tenure.
"If the Raiders get No. 1, obviously, they have their pick,” Ted Nguyen of The Athletic said on the "Just Win Podcast." "If they get No. 2, then they’re gonna have to possibly bid against another team if they really want the No. 1 pick just to move up one spot. And it seems like a waste of capital, but that’s how business is done. As far as Mendoza, my comp for him is Jared Goff with a little bit more mobility.”
Nguyen said Mendoza reminds him a lot of Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff for one specific reason: spacing.
“He’s not the fastest guy, but if you give him a lane, he’ll run for 10-20 yards,“ Nguyen said. “He has a little bit of speed to him, and he reminds me so much of Jared Goff. He has that accuracy. The delivery is very similar. The body type is similar."
Nguyen said Mendoza's NFL potential was on full display this past Saturday in Indiana's championship win over Ohio State to represent the Big Ten as the No. 1 seed in the CFP.
“He doesn’t have the strongest arm, but he has a strong enough arm to make every throw you need him to make," Nguyen said. "He’s not going to bomb it away like Jordan Love, but he’s able to hit that deep post when you need him to, as he did in that game against Ohio State.”
It's high praise from Nguyen, as the Raiders may need to start over again next season as the quarterback position has been a major question mark over the past decade or so.
Only time will tell, but it's clear Mendoza's potential is limitless.